Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-08-20
cOMANcHE pgrE,s CONVERSION.
A Religions Exhorter Now, But lie
Used to Shoot at the Drop Of Hat.


A letter from Las Vegas TO Kansas
City Times says: Something Of a
sensation has been caused lately in
New Mexico cowboy society by the
sudden and complete conversion of
Comanche Pete, one Of the crstwhile
widest, wickedest, cussedcst ones Of
them all. He was known as holy
terror, would shoot at the drop Of a
hat. and had the capacity of a distil-
lery for ardent SPIRITS He is a changed
man now, and spends his time labor
ing among the cowboys, endeavoring
to turn them from their evil ways.
He quit drinking, but takes ''no bluff"
from the roughcr element, which
sometimes endeayors to drown his
voice while he is cxhorting. He tells
them that if they want some pistol play
he is willin'; and, fellers, you know
| generally kills my meat He is
another Sam Jones in embryo, has all
of the Western dialect. and uses as
illustrations such things as his hearers
are familiar with. His talk recently
in Billie & Joe's saloon may not have
been strictly orthodox, but it was i'm
pressive and effective also:
''Fellers; you are mavericks now;
there's no brand on you yet. Your
mothers and sisters, and mabbe
fathers, belonged to Gods outfit, but
you strayed away before the spring
roundup commenced at home You
became maverick. and every outfit
has men out after you to catch and
mark you. Gods outfit has hundreds
of men hunting you, an so has old
man Devil. Gods major domos are
kind, good men, who will take you to
a green range, with plenty of pure,
cool water, and you'd better git his
brand on you right off You're dead
safe with that outfit, but you mustn't
monkey along nibbling atall the green
grass 700 happen to see along the
trail of life. Old man Devil viii rope
and brand you if you do, and then
when the final roundup comes and
they cut out all brands but your own
you will find yourself browsing around
on the short burnt ranges of evil. You
remember, fellows, that dandy green
trail that led down to the Pine
vetas, and how Bill Archer fed his
herd along there, thinking green grass
and shade trees and good water was
all along. You know how they got
down into the canyon, and struck only
sand and alkali, and how, before they
could get out, a sand-storm struck
them and killed most of the outfit.
Well, that's the way exactly the trail
is that leads to the ranges of Lucifcrs
outfit A good many of you are on
that trail now, and you'd better turn
off on a side trail. The devils brand
ing pens are built, the branding irons
are hot, and you cant save yourselves
nor turn back if you ever get your
heads in the chutes that lead to the
branding pen You'll be alkalied
and sand-stormed and stampeded
through the canyons and mountains
and pits of hell, and the hcel-fy and
screw-worms and black-lcgs viii tor
ment you as long as time lasts. You'll
be quarantined forever against enter
ing the pastures of heaven, and will
be held just outside sometimes so you
can just look over and see what you
lost by being too broneho to allow
white herders to rope and brand you.
"His talk affects his hearers because
it is evidently sincere, and because of
its quaintness and strictly 'rangish'
character. He may do much good
Who knows just what instrument God
may choose to invite estrays back to
the fold? He certainly has a wide
range to work over, and be will find
numberless 'Maveracks' therein. :"